Update from ESOC 20:15 CET

10/11/2013
15 comments

This just in from Christoph Steiger, our GOCE Operations Manager:

We’ve seen the spacecraft again over Kiruna at 19:56 CET (18:56 UTC), at an altitude of around 126 km. GOCE is still doing great; temperature of the central computer now above 50 degC. Next contact is expected at KSAT’s Troll station in Antarctica at 20:50 CET (19:50 UTC).

Discussion: 15 comments

Eelco Doornbos Posted on 10 November 2013 at 21:21

Is ESA making use of additional ground stations for these final orbits? Will the satellite also be able to downlink its data over Antarctica, or will that only happen over stations like Kiruna and Svalbard?
mihaela Posted on 10 November 2013 at 21:26

You make a great job!! Thanks you for all this updates!! Good luck with everything! I really really hope that nobody get hurt !
mihaela Posted on 10 November 2013 at 21:35

Christoph Steiger and his stuff ROCKS!!!! And GOCE are incredible!!!
CzarnyZajaczek Posted on 10 November 2013 at 21:45

18:30 CET at below 130 km
19:56 CET at 126 km
about 1,5 h nearly 4 km altitude drop
Todd Posted on 10 November 2013 at 21:58

Thank you very much providing us with interesting details!
Todd Posted on 10 November 2013 at 22:00

Thank you providing us with interesting details!
Massimo Posted on 10 November 2013 at 22:01

Thank’s for this realtime data! Good job ESA!
Adrian Jäggi Posted on 10 November 2013 at 22:19

Thanks a lot for all the updates. We are following the final phase of GOCE with interest and melancholy and wish you all the best for the remaining hours.

Heike & Adrian from the GOCE HPF Team
- Eelco Doornbos Posted on 11 November 2013 at 00:54
  
  Same here in Leiden and Delft, from the GOCE HPF and thermosphere density and wind teams!
  
  Eelco
Mark Posted on 10 November 2013 at 22:25

No update from Antartica?
Caroline Posted on 10 November 2013 at 23:12

Hi,
How does it come that goce is now increase in altitude? Can it have with the pole to do? I follow it at
https://download.esa.int/multimedia/esagadgets/esa_goce_reentry.html
- Daniel Posted on 10 November 2013 at 23:28
  
  Hi Caroline, Be assured: GOCE is steadily orbiting lower at this time. The tracker widget that you’re seeing is, sometimes, several hours out of date. It’s only meant to provide a visualisation of the location of GOCE and is not absolutely high fidelity.
Flemming Posted on 10 November 2013 at 23:27

Hi!
I think you are right about thr altitude and the pole.
Try follow it at: https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/GOCE/Track_GOCE
Works better
- daniela Posted on 10 November 2013 at 23:46
  
  normally the orbit has slight altitude oscillation, but not now any more. The applet is not reliable with regards to altitude since a while. Good flight GOCE for as long as it lasts.
Sean Butler Posted on 11 November 2013 at 14:35

Now I can’t say my software never “crashes” as was lead software engineer on IPCU, but what a way to crash. Hopefully my code lives on somewhere in some ESA backup. Was the best project I ever worked on. All the best.